Weekly Columns and Op-Eds
103 years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect and ended "the war to end all wars."
Now, we honor that day, the 116,516 American military personnel who lost their lives in that war, and every veteran who has served on behalf of our nation. On Veterans Day and every day, we say thank you.
President Biden is more concerned about government control than the safety of our workforce or the protection of our individual rights.
On September 9, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order requiring all federal employees and contractors be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22, 2021 and December 8, 2021, respectively. The alternative? Termination.
For more than 20 years, a group of plaintiffs led by a litigious special interest environmental group have held our region hostage, threatening to breach our dams and drain the lifeblood of our region. Their lawsuits have never been about the operation of our dams; rather, they have placed a bullseye on our critical infrastructure which provides clean, carbon-free energy throughout the region while protecting our native salmon population. They are driven by a singular, ideological goal: dam breaching.
This month, gas prices nationwide are the highest they've been since October 2014, and President Biden's failed energy policies are directly responsible.
(transcribed from this week's Republican Address)
Central Washington is made up of honest, hardworking, freedom-loving Americans who provide food and fiber for this nation, and my district is home to some of the most dedicated and innovative agriculture producers in the country.
For the first time in a long time, we have good news for our family farmers who have been under tremendous economic strain caused by drought, wildfires, and extreme heat.
In the United States, we are proud of our diverse culture, storied history, and the common values we share that exemplify what it means to be an American. Growing up in Central Washington, I have experienced firsthand how Latino and Hispanic cultures are deeply integrated into our communities, our country, and these very values. From September 15 to October 15 each year, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, and we recognize the many contributions of Hispanic Americans and how they have made us a greater nation.
I never thought I'd have to be writing this but let me be clear: The Constitution and Declaration of Independence, our nation's foundational documents and declaration of beliefs, are not controversial – period. I will always stand to protect, defend, and follow our Constitution.
Sometimes, to stop fires, you have to start them.
Democrats like President Biden often point to the West's devastating wildfires as evidence of climate change, and while that's certainly contributed to some of the events we are seeing unfolding across the country, it's only part of the picture. The rest? Burdensome government regulations inhibiting proper forest management and "sue-and-settle" lawsuits that prevent any actionable plans from being implemented.
September 11, 2001: a day that no American who lived to see will ever forget.
I was recently asked about where I was that day, and I remember it keenly, deeply. I think it's a question every American has an answer to—a moment engraved in time.
Since it was early September, it was right in the middle of hop harvest. My cousin and I were working to unplug the picking machine, a more-than-common occurrence for hop farmers, when his wife called, crying.